Welcome to Tradition Tuesday, a weekly look at the iconic rituals, traditions and moments that make college football game days so special.
Today, we’re heading to Southern California for one of the sport’s most recognizable traditions: USC’s Traveler mascot, who, along with his rider, brings the spirit of Troy to life at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
If you’ve watched enough college football, you know that every program has its own way of making a game feel like more than just a game.
Some traditions happen in the stands. Others happen on the field.
At USC, one of the most familiar sights comes on four legs.
Traveler has been part of the USC football experience for decades, and the image is hard to miss: a Trojan warrior on horseback, moving through the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with the crowd watching.
For USC fans, Traveler is more than a mascot. The horse has become part of the look and feel of Trojans football, adding a little extra pageantry to Saturdays at the Coliseum.
Traveler also has something most college mascots don’t: He can be part of the action on the field. It’s a sight you won’t see at most college football games around the country.
And like many great college football traditions, Traveler’s story starts with an idea that was never supposed to become this big.
The tradition
- Traveler became a USC tradition in 1961, when a white horse named Traveler I appeared at the Trojans’ home opener against Georgia Tech. The horse and sword-wielding rider became a fixture at USC games, turning what was thought to be a one-time appearance into an enduring tradition.
- Traveler and a Trojan warrior make an appearance before the game, and after every USC touchdown, Traveler gallops around the field as the Trojan Marching Band plays “Conquest,” creating a spectacle that has become synonymous with Trojans football.
- The idea began with Richard Saukko, a USC student who portrayed a Trojan warrior while riding his white horse in the Rose Parade. School officials saw the pair and invited them to bring the horse to the Coliseum for a game.
- It has grown beyond a horse riding around the field after touchdowns. Traveler represents the spirit and pageantry of ancient Troy, while the white horse, Trojan warrior and sword have become enduring symbols connecting generations of USC fans.
- The sword tradition is another central part of the Trojans’ game-day entrance. Before the team takes the field, the Trojan Marching Band’s drum major, dressed in Trojan armor, drives a sword into the midfield logo as the band launches into “Tribute to Troy.”
Quote of note
“The horse is one of the greatest inspirational devices USC has. It definitely got the adrenaline going when I was playing, and I think it still has an effect on the players. When I was coaching against USC (at Oregon State), we hated to see that horse come down the tunnel because it got USC a little more pumped up.” — former USC All-American defensive back and assistant coach Nate Shaw
READ MORE: Tradition Tuesday: The story of Virginia Tech’s iconic ‘Enter Sandman’ entrance
Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.